Story Book Of Strange Things
by Nakimochiku
Summary: Erased Words was not a normal bookshop. especially at night. and he liked it here. every single inch. Hichi x Ichi, half lemon in chapter 7 and 11! slight Grimmichi HIATUS!
1. Fairy Tales

FAIRY TALES

_um... 5__th__ attempt at a story? I hope this goes well I think I'm gonna die! Alright! Let's finish this in the weekend! Wish me luck, na? _

Erased Words was a tiny shop in the back streets and alleys of the city. It was more like a cult shop than a normal bookstore. They did not sell international best sellers and critically acclaimed master pieces. They collected unknown works that normally remained unknown.

This place was so beautiful. He stepped quietly over the black and silver rug, letting his fingers trail over the tons of dusty, worn books. They nearly ran all the way to the ceiling. He was always here in the afternoon, right until night time, when the primrose scented candles were lighted and the place had an even more magical glow.

This place was silent, until night fell.

The bell on the door rang, he went to the counter where a young girl asked for a voodoo magic book. "Don't bring those things into your house unless you know what it's about, or you have a priestess or priest with you." he warned. Lots of bad things happened when people did not heed his warnings.

This place was more than just a dressed up bookstore. It wasn't normal at all.

He walked around the small room, lighting the candles and incense as he went. the sun was setting. The owner forcefully told him if there was no light in the shop before the sun set, demons could come and steal him away. He was not a kid anymore, but he had seen his share of ghosts and demons. He always made sure to light the candles.

The owner had given him plenty of warnings, and he listened to every one of them. "The ghosts cannot harm you if you always have this medallion with you." he handed him the wedjat eye. "Always keep lights and music on, never let it be dark. And never go into a place that is dark. Do not become too friendly with any of the creatures here, they are as capricious as the winds." he nodded, tying the medallion around his belt. He never thought this old man was crazy.

He picked up a book, ran his fingers along the spine the way he always did. he Read the title a couple of times. 'The Ghost of Prince' the bell rang again and he was forced to put the book down to help a customer.

He didn't sit down until 11 o'clock, an hour before the time when the owner warned him it was best not to touch the books. "Midnight is when the ghosts walk freely, some are attached to these books." he said.

But it wasn't midnight yet, he just had to make sure he put the book away before that time. He slowly opened the book, carefully because this one was clearly part of the older collection. He read the first words, digesting them and imprinting them into his brain.

"_Prince is not a prince without a horse. Won't you serve me, stay with me? Won't you love me? You have to love me."_

He read on and on, the book made very little sense. He kept reading and was shocked when he heard the last chime of the clock. Midnight. He scurried to put the book away as ghosts and demons and other nightmarish creatures started to seep through the darkened oak floor boards. He pushed the books between the others on the proper shelf, and reminded himself to read it when it was still light out.

He said goodnight to the spirits, bowing as he locked the door, leaving the candles and incense burning. For he could not snuff them out when he was inside, he could get whisked away. That was another rule the owner had told him. "If it is past midnight, do not turn the lights out. The spirits will do it for you."

Stuffed in the little corner lovingly was the book, waiting for his hands. He did not know this. He did not see the new ink spilling out onto a crinkled yellow page.

'_I want you.'_

OWARI

_woot! Chapter one. I wonder if I should post this on LJ too. You guys are missing out on all the stuff I have on there man. Haha. Anyway. My culture is a very superstitious one. A lot (but not all!) of beliefs that the old man has are some of my own and my people's. PLEASE REVIEW!_


	2. Honey Cakes

HONEY CAKES

_I've never had honey cakes before, but I want to try one, hee hee. I can't make them myself cuz I'd kill them. But one day! Anyway, please enjoy!_

He thought for a long time about that book. It was so strange, like it was written by a selfish and ranting little child, blinded by the desires to own everything. But it entranced him, so much so that he was reading it right until the twelfth chime of the clock. He shivered when he thought about what could have happened if a ghost had been attached to that book.

"Did something weird happen at the Bookstore again?" Rukia asked him. He shook his head, going back into his day dreaming.

Ever day at six o'clock, right on the first ring of the grandfather clock in the back room, Owner's Wife came and brought him honey cakes. He found it rude to not accept her gracious offers and disrespect her. She knew things he didn't. If she wanted, she could curse him, he was sure. Not to mention her cakes were delicious.

Both Owner and his wife seemed as ancient as the sands of Egypt, their homeland. They were not Muslim, they praised the old gods, Ra and Osiris and Horus, the gods of ancient Egypt. Wife seemed more like a ghost than an actual woman. Her punctuality was beyond human and she slipped into the shop without making a sound, and slipped out the same way. He had long ago learned that it was no use to jump in fright when he turned around and she was suddenly there.

If he was scared of her he would never be able to work in this shop. He saw worse.

He took the offered honey cakes wrapped in a fresh lemon smelling handkerchief, placing them on a table before turning around to thank the woman, who was already gone. He sighed, munching on the cake, walking through the room to light the candles for the ghosts. Sometimes he thought the old woman slipped something into the cakes that also protected him from spirits. It was no wonder other people couldn't stay at this place.

He found the shelf where 'the Ghost of Prince' was kept. Lighting the candle holder mounted on the side of the shelf, he knelt down to look at the fraying spine. The Ghost of prince was printed in curling golds letters, with little gold vines and leaves spiraling around it. He picked up the book again, finding his page.

"_Won't you be by my side forever? I'll keep you here. I'll trap you here. Just say that you love me. Prince, why are you so selfish, why can't you let him go? Because he is mine, I deserve him. I am prince, I will be king. I want him. I will have him. You are mine."_

He placed the book on the plush maroon cushion that he always sat on at these times, going off to light the rest of the shop before the sun completely leaked away. He hung a lamp over his head and again opened to his page.

"_You have such a pretty face and warm hands. I see you. But you don't see me. But I can see you. Shall I take you to where I am? Shall I let you see me? Shall I hold you the way I want to? I want you."_

He frowned slightly. What a weird way to end a book. He supposed that meant that the prince never got the boy that he was talking to. He was a selfish brat, even his servants thought so. He had never had such a weird reading experience.

The whole time, it felt like hands were trying to trying to draw him into the book, and doors were closing over his eyes. The whole time, the words kept ringing around his head, like someone was shouting them in his ear. The whole time. It felt as if the prince was talking to him.

He supposed it was just him. When he locked up that night, bowing good bye to the spirits, he did not see new pages sprouting from the spine, shiny crisp and new. Ink scrawled over the paper, filling page after page.

"_Why do you walk away? I could make you a king."_

OWARI

_hiya! Took me a while. Man I had the weirdest dream. Everytime I saw byakuya I would wave at him and say "dimanche dimanche!" which means "Sunday Sunday!" in french. (Sighs and shakes head.) Anyway, review please!_


	3. Fresh Ink

FRESH INK

_chapter three. My, I really hope I can do this._ _please enjoy!_

He didn't touch the book again. It was finished after all. Instead, he spent most of his time researching vampires for his school project. There was a vampire who stopped by every now and again, mostly on crescent moons, which was tonight.

He piled the books on vampires from the reference section all around him in his little corner and remembered to leave one light near him off so that the vampire would be attracted to the darkness. He had never seen the vampire before, but he had heard him laughing.

It wasn't long after 11 when a tall blue haired man stepped a little from the darkness. "You were calling me?" he asked, pushing away a short skinny dark haired ghost. He nodded, making the vampire smirk. "Don't you know how dangerous that is?" he only nodded again, trying to stop his shivering.

This was the first time he had ever breeched any of the owner's rules. 'Never call attention to yourself. Never ask them to you.' he pulled out a book, trying to take his mind off the sound of the old man ranting in his head.

"Why did you ask for me?" the vampire asked, sitting in his darkness away from the ring of light above his head.

"I'm doing a project on vampires. I need information." he said quietly, as bravely as he could. he pulled out his notebook and a pencil. Part of him hoped this would be over quickly. This guy was smiling at him too much.

"Alright. What do you wanna know?" the grin widened and pure white teeth shone with the light flashing on him. "But I'll warn you. Throw away everything you already know about vampires." he nodded.

"What's it like?" he asked, pencil at the ready. "What are you afraid of? What can kill you? Why do you live forever, why do you need blood?" The vampire laughed at his curiosity.

"One question at a time. Endless. That is what it's like. Endless. I am afraid of god and faith and dying. Chopping off my head can kill me. I live forever because I am a heathen, it is my punishment. I need blood so my body can stay alive. Does that answer your questions?" he nodded, scribbling down every word.

He kept asking questions long after midnight. Nothing else was paying attention to them. Eventually he began to feel comfortable. He realized that predatory grin was simply always there. And that he laughed all the time because that was his nature. The vampire, Grimmjow, was a nice person to be around.

"Thank you very much for answering all my questions." Grimmjow rested his chin against his fist, grinning a tiny secret smile.

"Don't do anything so stupid again" he warned, crawling forward on all fours. "We are not afraid of much. And the old man does not know anything." he straddled his legs, leaning close to his neck, blowing cold breath that tickled his skin. "The night world is not choosey. And you might not live to regret making such a mistake, next time."

He could feel Grimmjow's mouth open, sharp canines grazing lightly over his skin, still choosing a suitable spot. He could feel all this happening, but he couldn't move. The fangs just barely punctured his skin when Grimmjow cursed in pain. He opened his eyes (when did he close them?) And he was met with the image of an elaborately dressed boy, who was livid with anger.

"AWAY!" he shouted at Grimmjow. Grimmjow scowled at him.

"It was just a warning bite." he grumbled, rubbing his head where a Britannica encyclopedia had hit him. "It's not like I was even gonna drink from him." he turned again and looked at him. "My point is, don't call us again. I'm one of the nicer ones."

The boy smiled at him, and went back through the darkness. He shut his eyes and sighed. This place was crazy.

He locked up again as usual. Shivering when he saw Grimmjow sitting on a shelf, waving at him. He couldn't see that boy that had saved him. And he definitely did not see the book grow in size.

"_Must I protect you from everything?"_

OWARI

_please review! Woot. Close call with Grimmy there, ya? Hee hee, I wonder if I'll make him come up a few more times. I had to have him in here. He makes a good vampie. Bad ichigo for not listening to Owner! But anyway._


	4. Sullied Feelings

SULLIED FEELINGS

_whew. A little work with the title...but anyway. Please enjoy!_

He decided to ask Owner about the ghost that had saved him. Not many creatures of the night world bothered to associate themselves with humans, especially when they were in trouble. He was too curious.

Sometimes he felt it was going to be his downfall.

"Sir..." he said slowly, approaching the front counter, behind which his boss stood, busily scanning books. The old man turned a sharp eye on him, sometimes he felt like it could pierce through his soul. "Is there a spirit here, that dresses like a prince?"

"A prince?" the old man asked, eyes raising to the ceiling in thought. "A prince...I have never seen a spirit like that, no."

He nodded slowly and directed the old man to the shelf where 'Ghost of Prince' was kept. He knelt down and nearly swore in shock when the original pencil thick novel was nearly three times it's size. He could feel the owner watching him, so he merely picked up the book.

"I think he's from here." Owner took the book from him, reading and investigating it.

"Have you read it already, boy?" he nodded grimly. "Never pick it up again." Owner said the words so strongly, that he half wanted to ask why, but knew he wouldn't get an answer.

He'd just have to wait until later to get them himself.

He picked up the book again, when owner had gone home and all the candles were lighted. He pulled it open, to the last page he'd read. He'd seen many weird things in this shop. He'd read some scary books too. But never had he seen a book that could write it self.

"What cha readin'?" he jumped, turning quickly to see Grimmjow.

"Nothing..." he answered. It scared him how the vampire could simply appear. He read quickly and got to the last page. Right before his very eyes, blotches of ink dropped on the page from no where, slowly turning to words.

"_I've missed you. I'm lonely. I'm trapped here. Come save me?"_

Grimmjow growled a little, watching over his shoulder. He grabbed the book from him, looking at the title. "Don't touch this book." he warned him. "Never read it. Trust me, you won't like the outcome."

"What outcome? Why do people keep trying to hide these things from me? What's with the rules? What am I missing?" he asked eagerly. From the day he'd stepped in the place, all he'd ever seen and heard were rules and warnings. "What's going on here?"

"You're human." Grimmjow told him. "Everything that's in this place is not human. Every customer that walks through those doors is not human. There are lots of things here that simply want to steal and eat your soul. The rules are for your safety. And this..." Grimmjow gave a disgusted look to the book in his hands. "This..._thing_ in here, only wants the same thing. Don't read it any more."

"There's something in the book?" Grimmjow nodded. "Ok. I won't read it. Now put it back." he held out his hand for the book, giving Grimmjow an expectant look. The vampire shook his head.

"You're not getting this back." he stood up, book still in his hands. "I'm taking it with me. I owe that stupid old man. If something happens to you, I'm in shit." he leaned forward and nicked him on the ear, making him squeak. "Don't get yourself in trouble, I'll be gone for only five minutes. This thing has a dirty mind.. You'll be better off without it."

He nodded slightly, watching as Grimmjow left the shop. What could he possibly mean? He was so curious.

Neither he nor Grimmjow saw the new ink smear across the page.

"_You can't get away from me."_

OWARI

_woo. For some strange reason, I don't like saying 'ichigo' I think that's my style for this story. I gots lots to do, and Damon is bugging me about my homework. Geh! Gotta do eet!_


	5. Immortal Bonds

IMMORTAL BONDS

_chappie five. No worries loves. This story is WAY longer than 10 chapters. Hee hee. Too many plot twists and homework!_

He let himself into his bedroom later that night, dumping his school bag in the corner and flopping onto his bed. He looked at the clock, and on the night table he saw the silhouette of something square.

He reached up to touch it, feeling raised letters and a frayed and gritty cover. He pulled it close to his face. The gold print flashed in the half light. 'The Ghost of Prince.' he briefly wondered why Grimmjow would leave the book at his place when he made such a scene about taking it with him. Not to mention that Grimmjow didn't even know where he lived. He shrugged, not too worried that a vampire might be stalking him. He turned on his desk lamp, finding that the book had grown once more.

"_How DARE you try to run away from me. You can't ignore me, and you can't hide from me. I love you too much. Why would you want to get rid of me when I love you?"_

He read slowly, watched as more words appeared. The prince was angry. At him. Then an idea struck him. He grabbed a pen off his desk, opening the book a little wider.

"_**I'm sorry"**_ he wrote. If the prince could talk to him, he was sure he could talk to the prince. _**"I'm very sorry, Grimmjow took the book from me."**_

"_Grimmjow?"_ the prince asked. He could almost feel the malice coming from the book. _"You're mine. He can't keep me from you."_

"_**I am no one's"**_ this seemed to make the prince even more angry.

"_I say you belong to me then you belong to me. You are mine. Not Grimmjow's. Not anyone else's. understand? I found you first. I want you. I claimed you. I can have you."_ he only sighed, writing a small yes underneath. _"Good. Now do you want to make me happy again?"_

"_**Sure why not?"**_

"_Then repeat after me, out loud." _He nodded to himself, preparing for whatever could happen. _"World of dreams, take me there, time of dragons, lead me from here. Worlds of dreams, invite me in."_

He repeated every single word and suddenly found himself to be very tired. He lay down, not bothering to change, his eyes closing. He didn't think he'd ever felt so tired, like something was pulling him down into ice cold water.

Grimmjow walked into his apartment, throwing his jacket onto the couch. He went to his shelf, looking over the many books collected there. He wasn't much of a reader. In fact, those books were only there for safe keeping. Some of them held destructive secrets or had curses that made them extremely dangerous. Or they could bite. He looked carefully for 'Ghost of Prince' but couldn't find it.

"Shit" he whispered to himself, knocking his head against the shelf where a book strained wildly against its chains to try and bite his head. "I am in so much trouble." he dug in his pocket for his cell phone. "Yuroichi. Dammit, pick up..." Grimmjow growled low in his throat, trying to remember where Yuroichi normally was at this time on a Thursday night.

He remembered 'Nine Lives' a club for shape shifters and witches. He knew they would be angry at him for coming, since he was a vampire. But this was more important than obeying turf rules. He pushed through the crowd, ignoring the music in his ears. Most the people there hissed and turned into cats, clearing the floor quickly so he could make his way to Yuroichi, who was currently queen of the dance for.

"Hey Grimmjow baby!" she called over the music, swaying her hips. "Wanna dance?" she saw his serious expression, signaling the bartender Byakuya to cut the music.

"I'm gonna need your skills."

A breeze through the open window tussled the book laying on the bed. An inanimate object had probably never looked so smug.

"_You're mine now"_

OWARI

_review! Off to chappie six..._


	6. Ruined Dreams pt 1

RUINED DREAMS pt. 1

_chappie six, ish proud. Stoopid email thing not working..._

He blinked his eyes a few times, and shut them again when the sun made his head spilt. He felt like that time he'd woken up after Renji and Keigo had tricked him into a drinking contest. But his pillows were soft and warm. And the smooth sheets felt good on his skin. He felt like staying in bed forever.

He giggled a little, still half asleep, when he felt something tickle the back of his neck. Than it became irritating, so he pulled the sheets above his head. When he kicked his foot back a bit, he found another foot. And when he leaned back, he found a bare chest and legs against his own underdressed body. There were more pillows than he originally remembered. And the bed seemed bigger. He tried to think calmly and turned around, finding another boy in a bed that wasn't even his.

He didn't scream. No. If he screamed at this, he definitely wouldn't be able to work at Erased Words. Instead he took a deep breath, looking strait into yellow and black eyes that were staring right back at him. Pale arms came to wrap around his body, and a grin spread itself on the boy's face.

"Hello. I thought you would never wake up." He kissed him gently and tenderly, as if he was still testing the waters and didn't want to scare him too much. "Would you like breakfast?"

"Wh-where am I?" He asked, sitting up and squinting at the light that assaulted him. He head was screaming blue murder. "How did I get here?"

"You got yourself here silly! You said the spell. Now you have to stay with me. Come, eat some breakfast." The boy got up from the bed, leaving him to stare out a huge window that nearly covered the entire wall.

Just where was here exactly? He crawled to the edge of the bed, looking out the window to the city of blue buildings around them. They were either very high up, or there were no people on the streets, because he couldn't see anyone. The boy came back into the room. "What do you want to do until breakfast arrives?" he asked, crawling on top of him with a grin. He pushed him off, looking for his clothes. "Aww. Ichigo, you're no fun."

"How do you know my name?" he asked, not too eager to get out of bed naked when this boy was looking at him so intently.

The boy smiled. "I know a lot of things about you. I found them out while you were sleeping." he frowned, unable to spot his clothes anywhere. He pulled the sheets to his chest, about to get up but the boy stopped him again, finding his body once more under his. "Come on. You said you were mine before, so let's go. I want you. And now I've got you." the boy leaned in for another kiss, when he tried to pull away, he scowled.

"I never said anything to you, freak. Now get the hell off me!" he shouted. He found it strange that the boy was so strong. He was skinny, but so strong he couldn't even struggle out of the grip.

"You told me you understood that you were mine. Just before you came here, you told me that, and that you wanted to make me happy. So make me happy." Before he could answer, he smashed their lips together, slipping his tongue into a slack jawed mouth. Cold hands snaked up his chest, making him shiver.

This had to be the worst nightmare he'd ever had.

Grimmjow and Yuroichi stood beside Ichigo's bed. They sighed in unison after battling with the sleeping teenager to pry 'The Ghost of Prince' from his hands. And failing. He clutched desperately to it, his face scrunched in a way that suggested he didn't like wherever he was dreaming of.

And who would? The world inside the book was desolate with no one but the demon prince Hichigo inside. Though the prince, using the last of his magic, had managed to make servants for himself.

Grimmjow looked at the dark-skinned woman beside him, sitting on the bed and stroking orange hair away from a worried face. He looked at Ichigo, his face sad and serious. "I get the feeling we're too late." Yuroichi scoffed, her high and mighty attitude there merely to cheer Grimmjow up.

"You forget that this kind of work is my specialty!"

Though the two could sense it, they didn't bother to check. They could feel the book laughing at them in victory.

"_You'll never win"_

OWARI

_mmhm. There you go. Sorry for the late update I had LOTS of homework to do. Review!_


	7. Ruined Dreams pt 2

RUINED DREAMS pt. 2

_chappie seven, ish proud. Vhateva! Nyaha! Sorry for no update. Please enjoy!_

Grimmjow carefully lay Ichigo on a circle of chalk runes, looking sadly at the damp face, hushing him when he whimpered loudly.

"Wow, Grimmjow. I've never seen you look so tender. He means something special to you?" Yuroichi asked, half teasing and half serious as she completed a small circle below the large one.

"Shut up! You know the old man asked me to watch him! Why would he mean anything to me?" Grimmjow huffed, picking up the doll that yuroichi had brought with her. Doing this, he didn't catch her knowing smirk. "What's this doll for?"

"Don't change the subject! I've haven't seen you look this down since the time Halibel had to battle the blue continental dragon and nearly got her arm burned off. You like him, right?" Yuroichi said all of this through a mouthful of colored chalk pieces, hardly looking up from her work.

"That's not the point! Hurry up and get him out of there so I can kick his ass for being stupid!" Grimmjow yelled. Yuroichi just raised an eyebrow, continuing her third yellow circle, before exchanging the chalk in her hand for a red one.

The fact that he was already naked didn't help his situation. And the fact that he was like every other hormonal teenager didn't help either. He whimpered when sharp glinting white teeth bit at his shoulder, licking it as devious hands traveled lower. He longed for them to touch him in the spot he rarely even touched himself, but it was so wrong.

"G-get...your hands...off me!" he gasped out, whining involuntarily when the hands did just that. The prince was smirking at him, licking his lips as if tasting a hidden flavor that only he knew about.

"Honestly, Ichi-kun. You're a terrible liar. Look, you're already excited." pale fingers drifted down from his stomach, so close to his inflamed flesh. So close. He raised his hips a little. More, closer, just a little closer... "see? You're so cute like this, Ichi-kun." the prince pressed his mouth to his, kissing him with wild passion. He roughly bit his lip, licking at the blood and drinking in the tiny moan the wrenched itself from his throat. "Damn your blood tastes nice." he whispered in a sultry voice, enjoying the shiver that raced up the spine of the boy underneath him.

There was a knock at the door. The prince smirked at him and got up, answering it. "Breakfast is here." he called, pulling a cart into the room. "Come eat something." he glared at the half crazy prince. "Come on. It's french styled, there's lots of croissants and butter and oranges. Eat something."

He simply looked disapprovingly at the cart from where he sat on the bed. He looked around the room again for his clothes. He decided screw it. If he ran, at least he would be away from this freak. He felt the prince's eyes watching him, but he ran for the door anyway, and gasped in shock, horror and pain as he was slammed against the wall.

"Where are you going, pretty?" the prince asked, black and yellow eyes flashing with threatening malice and power. He was smiling though, and that was probably what scared him the most. "Why would you try to run when I'm being so nice to you? I could make you a king, Ichigo. So why are you trying to run?" he shivered when cool breath brushed across his face. He wiggled, trying to get out of the demon prince's grip. "I protected you from that vampire. And you said you would be mine."

His squirms intensified when he felt the prince draw their bodies together, holding him close. Then the smell of smoke filled his nose. The prince turned sharply, looking out the window, and cursed as if he saw something. He grabbed a slice of orange off the cart, pushing it to his mouth. "Eat it." he growled menacingly. He turned his face away, hardly able to breathe with the smoke filling his lungs and the hard body that was crushing him. "Hurry up and eat it." he closed his eyes, and took a deep breath.

Suddenly he was able to breathe. Clear air. Not even a hint of smoke. He blinked his eyes open, met with nothing but darkness. He took deep breathes, staring out into the darkness, half expecting to see the demon prince's black and yellow eyes staring right back. Until he saw a glint of blue. He pushed himself up a little and laughed quietly when he saw it was Grimmjow, jumping into his arms and hugging him tight around the neck.

"I don't think I've ever been so glad to see you in my life!" he exclaimed. He could hear Grimmjow laughing softly in his ear. Thank god the nightmare was over.

A dark-skinned woman tapped him lightly on the shoulder, smiling. "You didn't eat anything while you were there, did you?" he shook his head.

"He kept trying to get me to eat." he said, not really noticing Grimmjow arms, locking tightly around his slim frame.

"If you had eaten anything, he can claim you later, even if we had gotten you out of there. It's a good thing you were too nervous." Yuroichi sighed in relief. "Well I'll be going home. Ichigo, get some rest." she poked his forehead and he instantly fell asleep.

OWARI

_thank god! I'm done! After all that time not updating! Woot woot woot! Sorry for later update!_


	8. bonus chapter Parasite Memories

PARASITE MEMORIES bonus chapter 1

_yup yup. First bonus. One of many, trust me. Heh heh heh. Why is this story so long?! Lol. Well anyway. Please enjoy!_

He wasn't drunk. Not quite. It was one in the morning. He was tired and he got the strange feeling that Renji had slipped something into his ONE drink at the party, cause he was seeing things. At least, he thought he was seeing things. Monsters and ghosts and all the things he hadn't seen since he was nine were walking all about him, paying him no mind. For some strange reason he wasn't too scared.

He wandered down the streets and the back alleys coming to a shop which lights were still on. He may have been a bar, but even those were closed. He peeked in through the window. And instead of seeing sleazy looking men drunk off their asses, he saw piles and piles of books, and a group of people wearing floppy hats and cloaks. Was it halloween already?

He slipped in through the door, it was raining and this place looked interesting. For a second he thought he saw a flash of blue and the sound of hundreds of voices whispering and calling "a human, a human is here! Can he see us? Why is he here? Will he be the one? A human!" the group of people turned around, curious, shocked.

"How did you get in here?" a smiling brown haired man asked, gently yet forcefully at the same time.

"Uh...the lights were on. I was curious..." he said slowly. A dark-skinned woman and another shorter girl brushed past him to the door.

"Be careful of the books in row D." she said with a smile. He turned to look out the window for them, but they were already gone. Another man with white clips in his hair followed.

"Don't touch the books in block 7." he whispered in a prideful voice. A few more people followed. Even a short little green haired girl.

"Don't eat food in block 7." she said with a bright smile. Pretty soon, the only ones left were an old man and woman and the man who had first questioned him.

"Uh. I was wondering if I could stay here until the rain storm blew over." the old man looked at him critically.

"You're soaking wet. What's your name, boy?"

"Kurosaki Ichigo, sir."he took in the candles and lanterns and hundreds of books. And the velvet curtains and peeling paint and black and silver rug. He soaked it all in. He wouldn't mind coming here every single day.

"You might as well be useful. Sort these books then scan them while I look for a towel." he went to the counter, looking at the spines of the books, sorting them into piles in alphabetical order. He knew the other man was still there watching, and the old woman had slipped through the door. The old man dumped a towel on him, looking at his work. "See here boy. You're good at this. How would you like to work for me?"

"Um..yes sir." this is when the other man decided to say something, while the old man went to the back for documents and half moth eaten application letters.

"If you ever encounter a problem here. Or any problem at all, look for me." He said. He handed him a small card decorated with fake jewels. Or maybe they were real, who knew. In pretty letters was the name 'Aizen Sousuke.' when he looked up again to ask him what he meant, he was gone.

This place was definitely strange, he decided on that cold October night. But he wouldn't mind working here. Wouldn't mind it at all.

OWARI

_so here we are again. Bonus chapter...I got a honey cake for my birthday! Yay! Review!_


	9. Thunder Berries

THUNDER BERRIES

_woot chappie nine. Proud proud. Sigh. Enjoy._

The next week was a quiet and silent one. Grimmjow again took 'Ghost of prince' to his apartment, where he carefully chained it with enchanted bounds, making sure it could not get loose. Yuroichi frequented the shop, picking up books and chatting with him.

The week was silent. But demon prince Hichigo came back the next week. And he came back with a vengeance. He pretended he wasn't at all angry that he had escaped and had ignored and disobeyed him.

"Ichi-kun... don't you want to come visit me? I'm getting so lonely here. And I have no one. Please, ichi-kun. Please come visit me." he couldn't sleep at night. That voice was always whispering and whining in his ear. "Please Ichi-kun. Don't you want to? Don't you miss me? Please come. Please."

Yuroichi could do nothing to fix it. Nor could Grimmjow. He tried not to complain about it, or lose sleep. He went to school every day and even there, the prince bothered him. "Ichi-kun. Wouldn't you rather be with me? Please?"

He had half a mind to say yes, or tell the prince shut up or SOMETHING. But he could say nothing. It would only incur the prince's wrath. So he ignored it.

He sat at his desk doing his homework, writing, barely even noticing the lustful whispers in his ear. Until they grew louder and clearer. He turned sharply, shocked to find a pale face right beside his. He jumped back in shock.

"You've been ignoring me." Hichigo said sadly, advancing on him. He backed up towards the bed. "You've been ignoring me. But that's ok. See?" he held up a basket of blood red berries, smiling. "Eat some and I'll forgive you." he backed away further until he back was pressed right to the window. Hichigo crawled onto the bed after him, the berry in his hand and basket in the other. "Come on. Just eat it."

"How did you get here? The book's not here, is it? How did you get out?" he stalled for time, wondering if he yelled would his father come running and hopefully scare the demon away. Hichigo looked at him curiously.

"The spell's old, Ichi-kun. Even with my power drained I can do something as simple as astral projection." he straddled his legs, sitting on him so he couldn't moved, holding the berry to his mouth. "One berry is all you need to eat Ichi-kun. Only one and I'll leave you alone." for now hung in the silence between them.

Where was Grimmjow or Yuroichi when he needed them? Suddenly Hichigo smirked and laughed like the maniac that he was. He slipped the berry into his mouth, throwing the basket to the side, uncaring of where the berries landed. He leaned down, kissing him. He didn't know what the prince was up to, but he kept his mouth firmly closed. He could feel Hichigo smile against his lips and could see hichigo wave his finger. His mouth was magically pried open and the berry slipped into his mouth, along with Hichigo's devious tongue. When Hichigo pulled away, he clamped his mouth shut with another wave of his finger.

"Swallow it." he ordered, his grin wide. "Swallow it. It won't hurt you." the taste of the berry on his tongue was unbearably sweet. He tried not to swallow. Hichigo gently kissed his mouth, tracing his tongue along his lips. "Swallow it, Ichi-kun. You'll like it." he giggled. "In fact, you'll love it." he forced him to tip his head back, and against his will, the berry slid down his throat.

It was at that moment that Yuroichi and Grimmjow decided to make their appearance. Yuroichi threw a talisman at the demon prince. It landed right on it's forehead. With a scream it disappeared, along with the spell over his mouth. He gasped, holding both hands over his mouth. His skin felt like it was burning and peeling off. But that was the least of his worries.

"Thunder berries, huh?" Yuroichi whispered to herself, looking at the blood red berry. Grimmjow laid a hand on his shoulder.

"I ate one..." he whispered. "I ate one by accident."

OWARI

_woot woot! Lol. Review!_


	10. Love Potions

LOVE POTIONS

_heh. I bet you this title is throwing you off. You'll see. Heh heh. _

"Ichigo! Stop trying to throw up. It doesn't work like that. Not with thunder berries." yuroichi commanded, dragging him from the bathroom.

"I'm burning..." Ichigo whispered quietly. His skin felt so hot, he nearly wanted to crawl out of it. Yuroichi patted his head, pulling out her cell phone.

"You call Byakuya, I'll call Soi Fong." she told Grimmjow. "What we really need is something to cancel out the spell." she gestured to Ichigo in a vague way, who was now shivering uncontrollably on his bed.

"Those things haven't grown in japan for centuries. But I think Aizen still has a store of them. If he could find them, that is." Yuroichi tapped Ichigo's forehead instantly trapping him in a restless sleep. Grimmjow sighed. The two witches called came over nearly instantly.

"Yuroichi-san." Byakuya said quietly, glaring a little at Grimmjow before continuing to speak. "You are quite aware this is not my field of expertise?" he looked at the convulsing Ichigo, briefly wondering what he could do to help the human. "But I do however have a couple spells that will keep the demon prince away, for the time being."

Yuroichi squealed happily. "Thank you! Now, Grimmjow, please pay Aizen a visit. You're his favorite." these words made Grimmjow shiver. Byakuya left as well, still glaring at Grimmjow when he exited.

Witches and shape shifters didn't get along with vampires.

Yuroichi and Soi Fong discussed where they could find the leafy herb that would cancel out the thunder berries. Grimmjow returned, shaking his head and still shivering in disgust. "And?" Soi Fong asked expectantly. "What happened?"

Grimmjow shrugged. "Even if he does have them, he either has no idea where they are, or it will take him a week to find them. But he has a book on this kind of stuff, so he's researching what else we could use. But if worst comes to worst, I could get Ulquiorra to go up to the UK and get us some."

Byakuya returned as well with chalk and scrolls of paper. "I haven't done this in a long time..." he said softly, more to himself than anyone else. He pulled back his kimono sleeve, dipping a brush into an inkwell, writing kanji and runes and some other secret language that only shape shifters knew. When he was finished, he began another.

Yuroichi hung them around Ichigo's bed, on his walls and on his door and window. Byakuya sighed a little. "The demon prince does not know our language. That one spell is the last defense." he bowed slightly to Yuroichi and Soi Fong, sniffed in an irritated way at Grimmjow and turned into a cat, slinking out the open window into the night.

"Alright. Soi Fong. You and I are going up to the UK with Ulquiorra. It'll take us a while flying... but we'll get there. Grimmjow, you're staying with Aizen – ah ah ah! No complaining– I'm sure Byakuya will come check up on Ichigo. C'mon, let's get ready for our trip." Yuroichi turned into a cat, Soi Fong into an owl, leaving the room with grace. GRimmjow sighed, mentally preparing himself for the coming week. He looked at Ichigo, who had clearly calmed down now that the berries were fully absorbed in his system.

"Don't get in too much trouble." he whispered. "Or I'll kick your ass for being stupid." he kissed Ichigo's forehead. Backed up a little and left the room.

Minutes later a smiling apparition appeared before the bed. "Ichi-kun." the prince whispered. Ichigo stirred, looking up at Hichigo and smiling. "Let's go." Ichigo took the offered hand, pulling the prince down for a small kiss before vanishing.

The spells on the walls smoked and burned.

OWARI!

_Hee hee. I'll explain next chapter._


	11. Profound Infatuation

PROFOUND INFATUATION

_hee hee hee. Maybe, just maybe you'll understand what's going on here._

He didn't exactly understand what was happening to him. One minute he was absolutely horrified of the demon prince who sat next to him, and now he couldn't stop admiring the way he smiled, the way he looked at him. They kissed every two minutes. And they kept holding hands.

"Do you love me, Ichi-kun?" Hichigo asked, leaning so close to him he could smell him, nearly taste his flavor. He nodded, eager to pull him down for another kiss, wrapping his arms around his neck. "Do you really love me, more than anyone else?" he thought for a moment of Grimmjow, but something angrily pushed him out of his head. And he smiled, kissing Hichigo again. "Prove it."

He thought for a moment of how he could prove how much he loved him. He got up, hiking up his skirt a little and sitting on Hichigo's lap. He thought at first that wearing a skirt would be enough. But the demon prince was so very demanding. Hichigo was smiling encouragingly at him, making him believe that he was doing the right thing. He leaned down, brushing their lips together, before moving lower, to his neck where he left an angry red hickey.

"How do I know that you're not lying?" Hichigo asked, kissing him senseless before he could answer. His mind was so dazed he didn't even know what he was saying afterwards. Hichigo's kisses made him high.

"You...you can have my first time." he whispered breathlessly, blushing. Hichigo smiled, but raised an eyebrow, as if still daring him to continue. "You can have it...when ever you want. You'll be my first and only." Hichigo laughed, dragging him forward for another kiss. He didn't know what was happening to him. But the same thing that angrily shoved out Grimmjow told him that this was alright. 'He's supposed to be your only one.'

Hichigo led him to the bedroom, laying him gently on the bed. He shivered in anticipation. The part of his mind that was still his own was calling him stupid, yelling at him to stop the demon prince before it was too late. And by battling with the new him, it slowly grew quieter and quieter until it all but disappeared. Hichigo undid the bodice of his dress, pulling it down off his shoulders, slipping the dress off his lithe body.

"So beautiful." the demon whispered, making him shiver once more and blush. They kissed, he began dragging off his clothes. He wanted to feel Hichigo too. This wasn't so wrong anymore.

This was perfectly right.

He hadn't really expected sex to hurt so much. When Hichigo entered him, he screamed and hung tight to those broad pale shoulders, tears of pain forming at his eyes. When the pain melted away, he felt nothing but pleasure. He hadn't really expected sex to feel so good either. He moaned loudly when Hichigo took hold of his erection, pumping in time to fast merciless thrusts. He screamed himself horse when he came. It felt like an explosion.

No, he hadn't really expected sex to feel like anything at all.

"I took your virginity, Ichi-kun." he said nothing, merely yawned and rested his head on the pillows, falling asleep. "At least with this, I know for certain you are mine." Hichigo grinned, covering both of them with the sheets. "There is much those others can do right now."

Grimmjow stood warily at the entrance to a small room. He'd be in the room and yelling at Aizen to hurry up and find mystia rosa herb, if not for the fact that he could barely get in too inches. "Oi! Aizen-_sama_ hurry up and let me in!"

"My my. It's true what they say, a vampire can't get into your home without permission." Aizen smiled warmly at him, making him shiver. He hated that smile. The Wizard waved his hand, clearing a path from the door to the back room. "Come in and welcome, Grimmjow-kun." and he hated it when Aizen called him that.

"Look, just hurry up and find the plant. Or find a way to shut that stupid prince up for good. Either one works."

"Grimmjow-kun, I've never seen you so excited. How about you have some tea and calm down?" he handed him an elaborately designed tea cup, filled to the brim with pink liquid. Aizen saw the questioning look on his face. "It's a special blend I made myself."

"You and your goddamn tea." though he admitted when he sipped it, he did feel a little calmer. "And it taste's horrible too."

"If you're going to be so rude, I'm not going to share my discovery." Aizen waved a piece of paper in the air, smiling in a condescending way. "And maybe this will put an end to the prince, so to speak."

"Good. Lemme hear it." Grimmjow grabbed for the paper, nearly spilling his tea all over the floor and random objects that were spread across it.

"No no no. you've got to do me a favour first." Aizen leaned in close, smiling as always, as if he were sharing a terrible secret. Grimmjow backed up, but found himself against a wall. "You'll be here for a little while, until I find everything I need, so you might as well be of use." the reminder that he had to stay in Aizen's office didn't bode with him very well. Aizen slipped a piece of paper into his hand. "You have to find all of those for me."

Grimmjow looked at the list. "Eye of newt, frog's leg... voodoo doll... WHAT THE HELL IS THIS YOU FUCKING TYRANT?!"

Aizen laughed. "I haven't been able to go shopping for a little while." Grimmjow simply cursed to himself, picking his way back to the door. He didn't mind this job so much.

As long as he was far way from that crazy wizard.

OWARI

_wow. Two pages. Longest chappie yet... I don't think I got to explain what the thunder berries did... should I tell you in this note... hee hee. Nope. Bai bai! And review!_


	12. Mystia Rosa

MYSTIA ROSA

_hee hee hee. If you're thinking the herb that will 'save' ichigo looks like a rose, you're dead wrong._

Ulquiorra had always been a disturbing presence. At least, that was Yuroichi's opinion. The ghost was silent, and always looked forlorn. But he had an extreme knowledge of plants and animals, and he was not bound to anything on earth, he could wander wherever he wanted.

In the form of owls, she and Soi Fong flew as far as they could. They used spells to bend time and space as they wanted to, allowing them to arrive in Russia faster than possible. Then they flew across the continent, all the way to France, where they finally stopped to rest their wings.

"Yuroichi-sama!" Soi Fong gasped, sitting in a tree and rolling her neck. "Wait a little!"

"Pushing yourself too hard is not wise, Yuroichi-san." Ulquiorra advised. He sat in a tree branch above Soi Fong, glaring at the other woman. Or that was what it seemed like he was doing. "I will go on ahead and locate the mystia rosa, if that pleases you."

"Yeah, sure, that would be a help." before she had even finished her sentence, Ulquiorra was gone. Soi Fong massaged her teacher's shoulders, smiling happily to herself. "We might as well go eat something." they wandered into a village, found a café and ordered a simple breakfast.

"It's peaceful here." Soi Fong commented, spooning herself some yogurt. Yuroichi only nodded, gulping down her cup of coffee. Ulquiorra returned, telling them of the plant they were looking for and where it was located in a forest.

"Time to get going then." walking away from the café, they turned into sparrows, and flew up into the sky, singing.

He blinked his eyes open, and was met with a beautiful morning sun. he groaned, unhappy with the pain in his backside and the need to throw up.

"Good morning." Hichigo chirped, kissing him on the cheek and smothering him with love. "What do you want to do today?"

"Bathroom..." he grunted. He got up and ran to said destination. Throwing up what looked like blood. He didn't get it. Why was he vomiting blood? It didn't even taste like blood. It didn't even taste acidic. It was sickly sweet. Cool hands ran through his hair, pushing it off his damp forehead.

"Those berries are taking effect..." whatever else Hichigo said was lost as he hurled again. He hadn't even eaten anything, so where was all of this coming from? A small vile of green liquid appeared in his line of vision. "Drink it. You'll stop being sick." he grabbed it quickly. downing it in one gulp. His stomach immediately settled down.

"Thank you..." he whispered. He rinsed his mouth, then climbed into the bath tub. "you asked me what I wanted to do. Let's make paper cranes." he was of course joking, but the way Hichigo smiled, his face brightening, he wouldn't have mind doing that.

"Ok! Then we can walk in the park! There's something there I want to show you." They spent an hour yelling in frustration at origami paper, then laughing at how badly their cranes turned out. "I think your's was closest, Ichi-kun." Hichigo said with a small laugh, kissing him. "Let's hurry and go for a walk."

The city was empty, as it always was. He didn't mind too much, it was nice and quiet here, not at all like his world. The park was spacious, with a fountain in the middle. They sat on the edge of the fountain.

"What did you want to show me?" he asked, gazing at the flowers and grass that surrounded them.

"This." Hichigo got off the ledge, looking for something on the ground, before picking a leafy spiky looking plant. "Eat it and you'll know how much you love me."

"I am not eating that thing. And I already love you alot...stop making me say that word!" Hichigo grinned at him.

"What? Love? But don't you love me Ichi-kun? Huh? Huh? Don't you?" he sniffled, as if he was about to cry. "Wah! Ichi-kun doesn't love me! He's so cruel! Fine! Ichi-kun gets no dinner tonight." the prince received a smack on the back of his head.

"Stop saying stupid things." he said. He was quite aware of the dark blush on his cheeks.

"Just do me a favor and eat it? I'll make it into a tea or something for you." they went back to the building they were staying in. Hichigo did just as he said he would, handing him a cup of tea made from the plant. "It's called the Mystia Rosa. It doesn't taste too good, but drink it anyway."

When he did, it felt like his head was suddenly cleared of a really dense fog. Whatever it was that was in his mind, telling him to push out every other thought but Hichigo was now dead, and his old self returning. And then he forgot everything.

"Do you love me, Ichi-kun?" he looked from the cup, to the kitchen around him, to the demon prince who was looking at him with a sad expression.

"L-love?! What are you talking about?! What am I doing here?! Why are you here?!" he dropped the cup to the floor, backing up cautiously.

"I see..." Hichigo whispered somberly. He smiled suddenly, though it didn't reach his eyes at all. "Then you might as well get going, right?" he clapped his hands together and chanted something he didn't understand. When he woke up, minutes later, he was back in his room.

"You've returned?" a black haired man asked, looking at him with cold eyes. He didn't answer. He heard something rustle in his pocket. He pulled it out, wondering what it could be. It was a crumpled piece of paper that almost resembled something. A memory pulled itself into his mind, though he couldn't exactly understand it.

"_Your's was the closest, Ichi-kun."_

OWARI

_hee hee hee hee. I hate this chapter sooooo much! Hee hee hee hee...why am I laughing?!_


	13. AN you must read

Mmmh. AUTHOR'S NOTE! YOU! READ! NOW!

Oki, oki. So I'm sorry, but I'm putting Ghost of Prince on hiatus. It's not that I've got writer's block, so no worries about that. It's just that I had a better idea that I really wanna get to (tons actually...pieces, never too late... lots lots...)

It's a pretty good story that was very much inspired by Kiva-chan's italic parts in "Dysfunctional Camaraderie" heh, and some of my own thoughts (yes I know I'm pimping) but anyway. Check it out. You'll have to live with it considering that Ghost of Prince won't be updated till it's done.

Anyway. If you're going to reply to this, do not simply say how much you hate me and want to murder me for stopping (for the moment) this story. If you tell me how much you **REALLY** love this, how ever, I'll think about giving you one of THE most dramatic chapters in the story (and maybe, just maybe, I won't even put in a cliff hanger)

so! Press that little purple button and make me feel loved. It's valentine's day and I'm single. I need love... (munches on chocolate)


	14. Travled Roads

Traveled Roads

For a few days, he was too feverish to go to school, or work. He spent his time contemplating the mashed piece of origami paper. He couldn't remember ever trying to make paper cranes, for that was what it resembled, if you titled your head to one side. A paper crane….

The voice kept returning to him, the one line. The closest. To what? What secret kept eluding him, buried in the fold of his memory. There was a lapse, he could feel it, because no matter how he tried to piece things together, it just didn't fit. There was something big he was missing, something he shouldn't have forgotten, and should feel deeply sorry for.

To who? Yuroichi? Grimmjow? The spirits in general? The spirits…. The prince! He'd done something, and now he couldn't remember. He slowly thought of a way to sneak away from Byakuya, the witch apponted with keeping a watchful eye on him, which he did very well.

It was the book he had to get his hands on. But he knew that was locked up in Grimmjow's apartment, far away. He could hope the prince would visit him again, but no apparition, not even Ulquiorra, could pass by his room without a very painful talisman thrown at his head. Though Ulquiorra did a good job of avoiding these.

There was a knock at his door. He quickly stuffed the already destroyed paper crane into his pocket. Grimmjow walked in, a strained smile on his face. He greeted him with a kiss, which was an improvement from the usual nips to the ear or neck. Should it be an improvement? Something told him that Grimmjow was not who was supposed to be greeting him with kisses, but he pushed that from his mind.

"what's wrong?" he asked the vampire cautiously, glancing at his blue locks that had strayed from the usual style. Did vampires always looks so tired, or was it just when they weren't eating, as Ichigo had been seeing Grimmjow do constantly. What was there to worry about? He was fine, the prince was silent, the book was locked up, everyone was alive and healthy.

"nothing's wrong." Grimmjow grunted, resting his head on his shoulder. He groaned softly in pain, and he pet the silky head of blue hair. "I was just stupid enough to drink one of Aizen's teas."

"you don't like this Aizen guy very much, do you." He hid the chuckle that wanted to break free as Grimmjow shivered violently.

"he's a horrible, cruel, sadistic tyrant, and I'm one of his favourite toys." Grimmjow released another piteous groan, and sank further into his arms. They stayed like that for a minute, before grimmjow looked up, and smirked. "ever wanted to become a vampire?" ichigo shook him off and snorted crossing his arms over his chest. "I'll take that as a no then." Grimmjow suddenly became quiet again, and he knew it wasn't because of the tea. Something else was on the blue haired vampire's mind. Having read his thoughts, Grimmjow pulled something out of the white satchel that he hadn't noticed before. He rested some more random stuff on his bed, which Grimmjow explained to be Aizen's grocery shopping, and finally pulled out a battered old book.

It's spine had long ago been ripped off, it's cover faded and bown and dirty. He could see no title and some of the frayed pages were moth eatened. some of the pages were stained and brown, and the front cover was hanging by threads to the other to stay on the book.

"What's this?" Ichigo asked curiously, watching Grimmjow carefully handle the book and put it in his hands. all at once, the book seemed to revive. the covers knit themselves back together, and cleaned themselves up. the page became less brittle, whiter. the gold writing displayed itself for him to see. 'The Ghost of Prince'. He dropped the book again, and in an instant, it was back to old and worthless. "what's wrong with it?"

Grimmjow snorted. "nothing's wrong. the demon prince is just throwing a tantrum. it's what he does." The vampire frowned. "he cast a spell on himself, and is making himself sick."

"is that bad?" he picked up the book again, and putting it down, watching the process it went through whenever he touched it. "what are we gonna do to fix it?"

Already regretting his words, Grimmjow took the book from him, hiding his shiver of disgust. "we're gonna see Aizen. i'm betting he foresaw this in that stupid crystal of his."

_**666777666**_

Aizen's shop, not at all hidden from normal humanity, stood on a front street, in desperate need of paint. the floor on the inside was covered with herbs and tea leaves and strange gaudy jeweled mugs, silver goblets and the customary black cauldren whose contains had been spilled in a sickening puddle that Ichigo desperately avoided.

Grimmjow was left at the door, unable to come into another person's house without permission. which was strange because Grimmjow always came into his house like he owned the place. even chatted with his father and verbally fought with Karin.

but in Aizen's presence, Grimmjow was quiet and reserved. he still bristled like a cat underneathe, and yelled in rage whenever Aizen touched him, but he was other wise very obediant.

Aizen made sure to press him self close to Grimmjow when looking over his shoulder at the book, and leaned right over him to inspect it. true, this could be considered sexual harassment, but Grimmjow's reactions were just too fun.

"i swear to the devil, if you stick your ass in my face one more time, i'll tear your fucking throat out!" Grimmjow hissed, an accent taking over his japanese as he became angrier.

"there there, Grimmjow-kun. now, go make us some tea." Grimmjow sighed, bowing his head and obeying. "use the blend in the blue tin."

"there are tons of blue tins!" Grimmjow shouted, but obediantly reached for the blue tin and boiled hot water.

while he was gone, Aizen turned on Ichigo with a gentle smirk. "i'm betting that you've forgotten about me, hmm?"

Ichigo shrugged, afraid the Aizen would suddenly treat him the way he treated Grimmjow. but it was pretty funny to watch. every touch of the wizard's hands made the vampire stiffen and hiss, careful eyes cast at the smiling brown haired man, who never stopped touching him for the entire half hour that they had been there.

"it is just as Grimmjow-kun says. and the prince has cast a spell connected directly to you. he is killing himself, very slowly, like an infection."

"How is this connected to me?" Ichigo asked, accepting the tea Grimmjow handed him and taking a sip. it was sweet. strange, but sweet. Grimmjow also took a sip carefully, sniffing the contents of the jeweled mug. he took another big gulp, and sputtered, coughing violently.

Aizen didn't answer, just watching as Grimmjow coughed and choked with a half smile. Grimmjow turned to him, his face gone slightly red.

"what the hell did you put in this?!" he yelled as best his could, his voice hoarse as his body tried to get the tea out of his system.

Aizen smiled. "Wolf's Bane and Cat Nip." he answered, carefully sipping his own mug of the poisonous concoction. Grimmjow's face went white. and a few moments of silence. the vampire gave a yell of rage.

"i'm allergic to that, you retard!" Aizen said nothing, and Grimmjow, finally unable to hold on any longer, fell unconcious.

"did you kill him?" Ichigo asked, taking another sip of the poison. Aizen laughed, and put his ear to his chest.

"unfortunately not. his corpse would have been an interesting thing to study. and now, back to our original topic." Aizen smiled again, placing his hand on Ichigo's shoulder in what was supposed to be a comforting way. Ichigo only flinched. "this is why i put Grimmjow to sleep for a little."

Ichigo wasn't quite sure he liked where the conversation was going, and took another sip of the warm liquid to calm himself. if Grimmjow would have objected, didn't that mean it was for his own safety?

"You'll need to do a ritual, in order to save the prince."

OWARI

_nyomable! woot, lol. sigh. please point out mistakes to me! i went over this so many times, but i was doing it on word pad so yea..._


	15. Needle Points

Needle Points

Ichigo sat for a moment, looking at the book beside Grimmjow's slumped over body. He vaguely noticed that Grimmjow's breathing had slowed down, and that he was practically sleeping. He took another sip of the tea, thinking carefully. If he let the prince die... after all of that, how would he get his answers? How would he be able to ask what the Prince had done to him, or the other way around?

Eyes hardening in determination, he looked at the gently smiling Aizen. "I'll do it."

Aizen's smile widened in a more diabolical way. "Excellent. Come into the back room with me then, Ichigo-kun." Ichigo put down his mug, and followed the path Aizen cleared through the mess on the floor.

The back was neater than the front, looked less lived in, more of a business part. Ichigo stood at the door, watching as Aizen fiddled with this and that. Aizen held the book and slowly poured a green gooey liquid over it, and placing it on a pedestal in front of Ichigo.

"This book is a fine specimen of magic... I can't let it go to waste." Aizen mumbled, handing Ichigo a small dagger. "Before we start, have you already given away your first kiss?"

The word somehow stabbed something in Ichigo head, leaving him reeling, and he wondered if Aizen had just cast a spell on him. He felt like he should know the answer to that question, but couldn't remember it. So he shrugged instead. Aizen nodded, as though he understood completely.

"And your first time?"

Instead of just a stab, pain shot through his body, making him clutch his head as his own voice said quite shyly _'you can have it...whenever you want. You'll be my first and only.' _He let out a yell, pain coursing through him as he remembered those words. He fell to his knees, tears stinging his eyes as the pain rushed through him again.

Aizen looked at him in pity, smile replaced with a frown. "And your first real love?"

He let out another scream, his throat turning dry as he screamed louder than ever, the pain absolutely unbearable. Tons of memories flitted in and out of his brain, faster than he could grab or understand them. And it hurt. Every new memory brought a stronger amount of pain than the last, another shattering scream. Finally, Ichigo was left shivering on the floor, unable to take any more. words and image flashed before him, but he made no effort to piece them together. It hurt too much.

After a few moments, Aizen helped him up, and let him kneel shakily in front of the pedestal. "All you have to do," he explained slowly into his ear so that his over taxed mind could grasp his words. "Is cut yourself, and let your blood run on the book."

Ichigo nodded, his mind numb, pain still stinging in his head, his entire body heavy. He lifted the knife to his wrist at Aizen's encouragement, and pressed the knife harder. It hurt... he didn't want any more pain.

There was a loud collision, like a car slamming into a brick wall. Ichigo turned, face stained with saltine tears as he saw Grimmjow colliding with a barrier on the door. He was yelling something at Aizen, and him as well, but he couldn't understand it. It was only meaningless words and made his head hurt. He pressed the knife harder, and Grimmjow yelled louder, telling him to stop.

He dragged the knife down, gritting his teeth at the pain, and let the blood soak into an open page of the book. He mind cleared up, he could hear Grimmjow's shouts clearly, the pain was gone, and warmth spread over him, like someone was hugging him close and tight. His vision went white, and he felt someone kiss his lips sweetly, and whispered something against them.

When he opened his eyes again, Grimmjow had wrestled Aizen to the ground, his cerulean eyes slitted like a cat's as he spat curses into Aizen's face. Head still pounding he pulled himself up, making both quarreling men look up.

Ichigo wandered from the room, not saying anything, but still feeling intensely satisfied.

Neither Wizard nor Vampire noticed as another of the book's pages grew, white crisp and clear, scrawling writing slowly forming.

"_Thank you..."_

OWARI

_so easily distracted! Look how long it took me to do another chapter! Wee hee!_


End file.
